The Girl Who Fought | h.p |

Hippogriffs

After Transfiguration, everyone headed to the Great Hall for lunch. Normally, Nova would sit with Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Today, however, she sat with Seamus, Dean, and Nevile. 

"Wassup, my dudes?" Nova greeted as she sat down. 

"Hey, Nox!" Dean greeted happily. 

"Hi," Nevile greeted, taking a bite out of his sandwich. 

"Hello, Nova. How's the prettiest person in the school doing?" Seamus flirted. Nova and Seamus almost always shamelessly flirted back and forth. However, both of them knew it was nothing more than friendship. Besides, Seamus is questioning his sexuality, not that anyone knew other than Nova.  

"I dunno. Let me ask Nevile." Nova said as she turned to Nevile who was a bright firetruck red. "How are you doing this fine day, Nev?"

"I-I'm g-good, N-nova," Nevile replied stuttering. Nova grinned as Dean laughed. 

"Are you cheating on me?" Seamus asked, pretending to be hurt. 

"Now, now, Shay, don't lie to yourself. You know you are the only one for me," Nova flirtatiously winked at the boy beside her. 

"Don't let Harry hear you," Dean laughed. 

"What do you mean?" Nova asked turning her head to Dean, who was sitting in front of her. 

"Nothing!" Nevile said quickly. Nova narrowed her eyes but shrugged. 

As Nova turned her head down the Gryffindor table, she caught Harry's eye. Nova smirked and sent Harry a wink. The boy in question flushed a dark red and turned to his food. 

"We have Hagrid's class next," Seamus stated. 

"Really?" Nevile asked at the same time as Nova. Nevile, however, sounded less enthusiastic. 

"Yeah," Dean nodded looking at the schedule he received this morning. 

***

Nova let in a deep breath as she walked out of the castle, shoulder to shoulder with Harry. The brisk autumn air filled her lungs. A small smile played upon Nova's lips. It was silent as the Quartet walked to Hagrid's hut for class. The silence was mainly caused by Ron and Hermione's silent treatment to one another. 

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start. 

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached."Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

For a moment, Nove thought Hagrid was bringing them into the forest. Nova had some bad experiences with that particular forest, but couldn't care less. 

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it —make sure yeh can see — now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books —"

"How?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. 

"Eh?" said Hagrid. 

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Nova, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips. 

"Hasn' — hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen. 

The class all shook their heads.